new toy: colt new service revolver in 45. colt

Leg said:
... Pic is from Bowen Classic Arms, they sure do some nice work...
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"Nice"? Is the Pope Catholic? Do birds fly? Do chickens have lips? Bowen Classic Arms website is the Playboy Magazine of revolvers. An eyegasm on every page.

Naughty thought for the day: I would love to win the lottery and, when asked by some media reporter what I intend to spend the money on, watch the reaction when I say, "Well, there are a number of worthy causes I'm considering, but one of the first things will be to fly to Louisville, Tennesee and talk to Hamilton Bowen about making me a couple of his magnificent revolvers."

The second might be to have a huge billboard with a pic of them and "Have a nice day!" put on a truck and drive it by Windy Wendy's house every day for a week :evil:

Sigh...
 
Leg said:
I don't own any revolvers but I've become fascinated with old fixed models of late. It's a shame that this one has been modified with target sights since I doubt the damage can be undone without major expense.

I've been keeping my eye out for a rough one like you have just so that I can afford it with the goal that it would end up something like this.

Colt_New_Service_45_Custom.jpg




Very nice, this is truth. Another truth? Unless you've got BIG mitts, you'd want custom grips.
I've a New Service in 455 Eley, and while the report isn't loud, after 40-50 rds...you'll know you were shooting a decent sized cartridge. Ergonomically the Colt isn't that great.
Decent gun if you had to actually 'use' it, but extended range time for sh*ts and giggles...not so much. But I've a medium hand at best, and repro grips too.
Some wrap around custom wood would help lots most likely.
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thats a nice snub... but not really seing anything special done to that new service? i though they had a model with a 4 inch barrel from factory, and that one has aftermarket sights too...
too bad you cant fit a colt python barrel onto it. i have some of the parts im missing on order so i may get to shoot it soon!
 
You're right, they didn't do much to it. That's what I like about it.

How many of these things are sitting around in .455 with 6" barrels? This shows just how easy it would be to take one of these old warhorses and turn it into something a little more practical. Not that altering range only guns is in any way practical.
 
got my parts in and this gun is cycling nice. cant wait to take her to the range this weekend. unfortunately it wont have grips yet, but who cares.
whats the best way to strip the bluing off completely for a reblue? acid or a paint stripper?
 
You ever see the USA shoot .455?, I just saw the picture and it is a Canadian gun, frame looks to be buffed out in the past.
may some one was starting to engrave a picture or ? on the side plate.
I would not start stripping the blue off if I was you , until you see what you have as a shooter, and then do it right.
If you want to practice, get a old cooey 22.
Cocked&Locked said:
originally in 45 colt, or 455 reamed? Kinda suprised at a 1918 new service in 45 colt.
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also its a .45 colt barrel, but the cylinder allow the .45 ACP cartriges to headspace in it, so I can shoot .45 ACP without the moon clips but will have to knock them out with a pencil, or something cooler.
Mrashal, this thing is definitely rough and stripping it and giving it a nice reblue wont hurt the value. I may get the whole thing bead blasted and see where I stand after that before reblueing.

oh cool! I just found this:
http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showthread.php?t=1051276

Ill throw up a pick of the gun all together tonight.
and I forgot about the vinegar trick I was reading a DIY about it a few months back and found it again.
 
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That snub would be perfect for carry in Canada, at about the same time I win the lottery.
My point about the blue remove is that I have seen so many guns that where poor, so
some one "fixed it up", when it should have been left alone.
This one does not fall into that, I know, But if you have never reblued, I would not use this a starter.
Bead blasting is simple and saves a lot of work, but I hate it on a gun that should have a high polish.
 
It would be a kick *ss carry piece. 455 Webley topped out the 45 ACP at the initial US trials as far as knock-down. Not much report, moderate recoil and range...and yet with the ability to put 'em down and make stay down.
I'd just get it shooting and cold blue it myself. I've a Colt that arrived after a 'Steel wool' cleansing...I just cold blued it. Turned out OK IMO, but maybe I'm easy to please that way.
 
I may experiment with the sideplate that is all messed up first and see how the results look...
I saw the walkthroughs for the hot bluing and it didn't seem to hard, but ill see how the sideplate turns out.
 
FWIW I recently saw somewhere (possibly somewhere here on CGN; maybe there is a Cdn. source for this) an advert for Lauer's new DuraBlue spray-on finish. It's a new product and I don't know if there are any reviews yet, but their DuraCoat line seems to be well regarded. Nothing will beat a professional re-blue job but some of these finishes are apparently pretty good if the metal is prepped properly. I was thinking of one of the Lauer finishes for my old Anschŭtz .22.

:) Stuart
 
heres some photos! I took off the bluing for the sideplate with vinegar, and it worked very well. ill do the rest of the gun this week, and ill have to start some plans for some grips for it. #### the grips/ergo on these guns suck. just testing it and pulling dual action hurts the web of your hand, im not sure what to do with them, what is what weird piece of metal called that is on the front of the grip in the pic I put up? is it still a front strap?
and I didn't make that drip mark in front of the front sight, or the crane marks... previous owner.

IMG_2061_zpskxll1ce7.jpg

IMG_2059_zps7qxvpvgb.jpg
 
I shot it this weekend for the first time, with .45 acp, d@mn does it ever shoot nice now. I may have been bitten by the wheelgun bug.
 
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